Empty Waters
by RainingArrows
Summary: Darkness has surrounded Mello, pulling him deeper and deeper into nothiness. Near reaches out to him from the shore but is ignored. It is then that the boy takes his first step into the cold darkness...will he come out alone? Or with another? DISCONTINUED
1. Prologue

**A/N:** Ok this is my very first fanfic! ......well my first one on here anyway. I written fanfics before but all of them were short, crappy and not really thought out…..So here's my first serious fanfic! Yay! So please be sure to review :3

_Italics_=flashback

**Warning:** This story contains depressing themes, disturbed thoughts and YAOI!!!! ……But that part is later XD

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Death Note or its characters; they belong to creators Tsugumi Ohba and Takashi Obata. I simply own this fanfic.

Enjoy!

**Prologue **

*pant, pant*

Mello ran as fast as he could. The late autumn air stung his already exhausted lungs as he gasped for breath. Skillfully dodging the moss covered trees and their occasional raised roots, the blonde dared to take a glance behind him. Though the thicket made it hard to see their figures, he could hear his chasers faint voices steadily growing louder, indicating that they were gaining on him.

Despite this, Mello slowed to a stop in order to catch his breath, and also to adjust the small bundle he held in his thin black jacket. Even if his pursuers got close, it would be equally hard to see him through the thickness of the parks' trees.

That is, as long as he kept quiet and still. But the moving package he carried was making that rather difficult. Why he even bothered with it was beyond him.

"Hey! I think I see him!" a boy in the distance yelled.

"Get back here kid!"

'Damn…' Mello cursed to himself and began running again. He knew he would be in trouble- not only by the group of teens that weren't too far behind him, but also by Roger and the other Wammy staff. For this was one of the rare days in which the kids were allowed out of the orphanage grounds and into the city where they could enjoy the outside world, even if it was only for a while. But the kids were kept under a close eye of course and were only let out in sections, to avoid problems…..

…..like the kind Mello was in now.

The young boy's legs worked furiously, crunching the fallen leaves beneath his feet. His heart was pounding as the cool air assaulted his sweating body. He felt as if he just escaped from prison and was being chased by the apparently not-too-watchful guards. Of course the situation was much lighter than that, almost annoyingly so.

Suddenly, Mello stumbled into a clearing. The mid noon sun shone brightly in his eyes as it reflected off of the trees rich fiery leaves. Reflexively, his put up one arm to shield them while still supporting his extra passenger with the other. Through his now shaded gaze, he could see some of the other kids playing on the far end of the large park. Much too far to notice the endangered boy.

"Alright kid," the largest, red-headed boy started as he and his cronies stepped into the clearing. They had on upper-class school uniforms so it was obvious that they wealthy kids that came from some snobby border school. But they hardly looked the part since their clothes were extremely disheveled. The high schoolers were probably too rich to care. "Just hand it over and we _might_ not hurt you." He began to laugh. It was a sickly, over confident laugh in which his two followers began to join in. They cracked their knuckles and developed mischievous smirks, giving off cliché bad guy auras.

Mello felt the sudden urge to gag.

He hated these kinds of people. They were the smug, bully type that only acted tough and couldn't back it up. People who think that just because they have money they can do whatever the hell they want to. They were the type that would pick fights with those they knew were weaker than them, just for the free kicks. It disgusted him….almost as much as a certain white-haired genius. But that's another story. Ignoring the cackling laugh the young boy simply held on to his bundle tighter.

Seeing this, the boys only laughed harder.

"What's this? Is he seriously trying to protect that thing?" Idiot number one said with a smug grin on his face.

"Ha, the little sissy's trying be a brave hero, huh?" Idiot number two chimed in, a little too happily. The situation was like candy to them, and they were dying to take a bite.

"You guys can go to hell." Mello said, finally breaking his silent act. He glared at the acne ridden teens until their laughs died down into silence. Mello could've used this chance to run away, but his pride wouldn't allow him to be caught in his current predicament. Not with what his was carrying.

Suddenly, Mello was shoved to the ground, hitting it with a soft thump. Luckily they were on the parks' thick grass or his fall may have actually hurt. But the strong "fresh cut" smell was less then enjoyable.

"You think you're so tough, stealing our fun like that…." The red headed ringleader hovered over the blonde, looking down at him menacingly. "But you're nothing but a little brat!"

The burling teens' heel then came crashing down on Mello's forehead, knocking the slender boy down onto his back. Instinctively, he rolled onto his side as a barrage of kicks came down onto his back. The teens began their horrendous snickering again as they assaulted the boy beneath them. Curling into a fetal position, Mello just hugged his small assemblage to his chest, desperate to protect it.

He shut his eyes……

He shut his mind……

He didn't move, he didn't yell, he didn't even think. The young blonde just stayed huddled up on the ground….trying to endure the pain.

He wanted to get up and fight the bullies, to fight back. But he didn't, or rather he couldn't. His mind knew that he was in trouble, that he needed help, but his body refused to move. Instead he just remained in that humiliating position.

It was strange though….Mello felt stupid, humiliated and his back was beginning to ache from the abuse…..But he didn't care. He didn't know why….but he just couldn't bring himself to care about the current situation that he was in. He only knew that he wanted it to end.

Mello shut his eyes tighter, shutting down his senses at the same time; trying to bring the end sooner. Soon the once annoying laugh from his attackers began to fade in to the background and the blows became a mild numbing sensation. He was withdrawing into himself. For the first time he actually felt the darkness that shrouded his sight begin to engulf his mind and body.

It actually felt nice……..

……But then, the numbing sensation stopped all at once.

Had the young orphan completely withdrawn? Allowing the darkness to devour him to the point where he could no longer feel at all? Or was it simply that he had been knocked out by his aggressors?

His question was answered when a familiar voice brought him back to reality.

"Three against one seems extremely unfair, does it not?"

It was Near…..

Senses or no senses, Mello had no trouble recognizing that monotone voice of his.

"Hmph, you a friend of this pansy or something runt?" the ringleader barked out at the much shorter boy.

Not fazed in the least, Near simply replied, "Yes, we could be considered friends and I would very much appreciate it if you left him alone now"

"You don't have the right to tell us what to do kid." The boy on the left of the leader said, folding his arms seeming satisfied by his words.

"Yeah so get lost before we have to take care of you too!" The boy on the right said, sounding equally satisfied. Mello heard footsteps and knew that the boys were starting towards him again. He didn't move, instead he prepared himself for the next round of blows. When they didn't come, the blonde shifted so that he could peek over his shoulder. There he saw that the young genius had stepped in front of his motionless body, blocking the teens' advances.

"Move it shorty!" The ringleader grabbed Near by his shirt, lifting his light body a few inches off of the ground. The albino calmly began to twirl a strand of his pure white hair between his thumb and forefinger. He stared into the older boy's eyes with his gray ones.

"No."

Though Mello couldn't see his face, he could hear in the firmness of his voice that Near was far from being swayed. He was not one that was easily threatened. But why was he doing this? He never showed any specific hatred towards Mello, but Near still didn't seem like the type that would go out of his way to help him, especially since there was nothing for him to gain from it.

"Why you little," The teen failed to hide the irritation in his voice as he gripped Nears' shirt tighter. He lifted his hand up above the young genius's head, but just as he was about to swing, he heard a high, piercing scream.

Everyone, including the still grounded Mello looked to see that it was a young girl that had let out the scream. Another Wammy House orphan named Linda, to be specific.

"Kya! Roger! Some guys are attacking Near and Mello!" Linda screamed as she ran off, her brown pigtails dancing behind her small frame.

"Crap," the one holding Near immediately dropped him and turned to the others. "Forget the brats; we need to get out of here."

With a few last scowls and curses thrown their way, the two orphans watched as the teens hurried off, exerting their anger out on a few poor trees along the way. Once they were gone Near shifted so that he was sitting in his usual position. Mello stayed were he was, gripping the ground in embarrassment. To have been helped out by his rival was the last thing he wanted. And because he had helped him, he ruined the chance for the blonde to be taken by the pain numbing darkness. Pushing that aside, Mello decided to sit up, but in a way so that his back was to Near.

"Is Mello alright?" Near asked. There was still no emotion in his voice, no hint of any actual concern.

"….I'm fine." The blonde answered. He had been in plenty of fights before but this is the first one in which the other side walked away without a scratch. Ignoring the chilly wind, Mello unzipped his jacket to allow a small black creature to crawl out onto his lap. He smiled a little, seeing that it wasn't hurt.

"A cat?" Mello jumped slightly at the sudden closeness of Near's voice. The white haired boy was now sitting right next to the chocoholic. "Mello was protecting it from those teenagers."

"Yeah…" It wasn't a question but Mello answered it on reflex. He rubbed the kitten's head. It trembled a bit under his hand but didn't move away. After a moment, it began to purr softly.

"It's strange…why would Mello bother to save a cat? It is quite out of character for him." The pale boy twirled his finger in his hair as he spoke. As much as he hated to admit it, and he _really_ hated to admit it, Near was right. He wasn't exactly the type that came to the rescue of others, especially not cats.

But for some reason, when he saw them….

He couldn't help himself……

* * *

_When the kids arrived at the park Mello immediately started walking off on his own. He preferred to go around exploring when they got the chance to leave the Wammy grounds, to enjoy the temporary freedom to the fullest. Though he was pretty social with the other kids, they preferred to enjoy the large playgrounds and stores rather than explore and Matt usually stuck with the teachers when they were out. He got in more game time that way. Even if anyone had volunteered to go with him this time, he would have turned them down. _

_He needed to be alone right now. His head had been aching ever since that morning and he wanted to get some peace from all the excitement of the other orphans. Especially Near. He was surprised that the teachers were even able to get the albino out of the orphanage and into the outside world. Either way, he didn't, no; he couldn't be around him right now. _

_As Mello wandered aimlessly through the park, careful to avoid the Wammy staff, he suddenly heard voices. Voices that sounded much older than those of the young orphans. Suddenly very curious, Mello followed the voices until he found a group of three teenage boys. They seemed to be huddled around something. And that something must have been pretty funny for the three to be laughing as loudly as they were. _

_Mello stood out of sight, behind a large oak tree, trying to see what is was that had captured their interest. His wonders were answered when one of the teens shifted to the side, allowing a small black cat to come into view. The little creature was shivering violently, obviously terrified. _

"_Ha, stupid cat," the largest boy grabbed the unlucky kitten by the nape of its neck. "How about you play with us for a while?"_

_He shook the cat and pulled its tail violently. It mewled and struggled to get free, but all in vain. Mello didn't know why he did what he did next. He could have easily walked away, avoiding the older boys and their wicked form of entertainment. But instead he moved away from the safety of his tree and toward the trio. _

"_What kinds of losers torture a defenseless animal?" Mello said, drawing their attention. "You guys must be pretty badass to do something as low and dirty as that." _

"_Who the hell do you think you're talking to kid?" The large teen with the spiked red snorted at him. Mello's profiling skills told him that he was their leader. _

"_Scram pansy, we're busy" the delinquents were about to turn their attention back to the crying kitten when one them suddenly screamed. Mello inched closer to see that the cat had bitten one of the boys' fingers and was still holding on. _

"_Damn it! Get this thing off of me!" The bitten victim shook his hand wildly, desperately trying to get rid of the source of his pain. Mello grinned despite himself; the boy really had it coming. _

_Finally, he was able to force his attacker off, sending it to the ground and earning some extra scratches in return. He gripped his bleeding fingers and glared at the cowering kitten._

"_Ugh, you little shit!" The boy made a move towards it but the sly cat quickly ran and took shelter behind Mello's legs. The orphan reached down slowly to pet the creature. It tensed a bit but then leaned into the kind boy's ministrations. When Mello saw the teens advance toward him, he instantly picked up the scarred kitten, cradling it in his arms. _

"_Hand over that cat kid." The red head said with authority, reaching his hand out unbeknownst to the fact that Mello wasn't exactly the obedient type. _

"_Heh, and why should I do that?" Mello said with a smirk. A better question would be why shouldn't he? What these punks did was definitely none of his business, yet there he was, protecting what they found to be their "property". He could probably still just put the cat down and walk away like nothing happened. But as the thought crossed Mello's mind, his arms unconsciously began to hold the kitten closer. _

"_Listen here kid, you better just do what the grown-ups say, if you know what's good for you." _

"_I might listen when I actually see some grown-ups around." Mello retorted, while tucking the small cat into his jacket, making sure to keep it shielded from the chilly autumn air. _

"_Hey!" Before the redhead could even get the word out, Mello took off running with the delinquents in hot pursuit. _

* * *

After that…well that chase led him to where he sat now. And next to none other than his rival, of all people.

"I see…" Near said after listening to Mello's story. "But that still does not explain why Mello did what he did."

The blonde sighed at this. He hated Near. He hated that Near helped him. He hated that he was sitting next to him, asking him questions that he himself didn't even know the answers to.

But for the first time in his life…he didn't care.

He didn't care about his injuries or a certain white-haired genius. All he cared about was feeling that same numbing sensation he felt before. He suddenly craved for it. He looked down at the now dosing kitten and gently stroked its head. He longed for the release of sleep, to return to that darkness.

"Here they are Roger!" Linda's high voice pierced the silence as she, Roger and Matt came their way. They were also followed by male teacher, one that Mello didn't recognize. Maybe he was new.

"Wow, Mel, you're a mess!" The gamer bent down and stared at Mello, lifting his goggles to get a better look. "Geez! And you're bleeding too!" There was dread in his voice as he looked over his best friends' injuries.

Roger hurried over and kneeled by the blonde, lifting his hair to see the scrape. Blood then dripped down his nose, accenting his injury.

"Dear gods, Mello what happened to you?!" Roger was a bit pale. He genuinely cared for all the orphans and would become frantic whenever anything happened to them. Mello knew that Roger seen the kitten in his lap but he disregarded it either out of confusion or because he felt that it wasn't important at the moment.

"I'm fine Roger…" Mello answered quietly, his distant voice sounding completely foreign to him. Roger seemed less than convinced but he then turned to Near and eyed his once white clothing, which was now soiled with dirt and grass stains.

"I was not hurt; it is Mello that needs the medical attention right now." Near said, feeling his gaze. Mello tried to stand up but winced in pain. Roger and Matt silently helped him to his feet and onto the back of the (new) male teacher. Roger gently took the kitten from Mello. It didn't resist the shift in carriers; instead it just settled down in his arms. Probably too tired to care anymore……just like Mello.

It was now late in the afternoon so the other orphans were already preparing to leave the playground. They knew that their free day was finally creeping to its end, but they were ready to leave with smiles.

Mello silently wished he could be like them as he rested his head on his carrier's shoulder. He listened to Matt's talking, not exactly sure of what he was saying. He heard Linda sobbing silently- she was always crying when it came to the other orphans. He would almost consider her pretty nice person, if only she was so annoying. He also heard Roger and the teachers' worried conversation, but all of it seemed far away now…..

Even the white haired genius was a just another figure now…..Just another object in the world.

His consciousness was beginning to fade as the boy was overcome with sudden exhaustion. His body felt unusually heavy and the outside sounds became like dying echoes. As his vision blurred, Mello opened his mouth and spoke two words. After that, he slowly drifted into a sound sleep.

No one seemed to have heard him; no one except the pale genius. However these words caught him off guard, making him stop in his tracks. The ever watchful Linda noticed this and stopped too.

"Are you ok Near?" she sniffled. He nodded quickly, not wanting her to catch on to his rare confusion. After a moment she decided to believe him and kept walking. Near soon followed but was trailing behind with Mello's words stayed stuck in his mind.

'_It hurts…_'

As he heard those words in his mind again, Near suddenly felt like something was wrong. He couldn't tell why, but those two words filled him with an unfamiliar feeling of panic. They were simple enough but the young genius knew that there was a deeper meaning behind them……

**A/N:** So is it good? I hope that it wasn't too confusing….but then again a lot of stuff will be explained it later chapters, so don't fret. Also I guess this was pretty long for a prologue….

*Subscribe and favorite if you like! And don't forget to review!*


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Ok, here is chapter 1. Sorry that it took so long. My new school has left me with barely any free time; especially not with my art classes (I have 3). But anyway, I hope that this came out ok since it was uber hard to get done -.-'.

**Warnings:** This chapter contains a slightly (very slightly) disturbing scene. I'm not even sure that I should call it 'disturbing' per say but hey, just being safe.

**Disclaimer:** All Death Note rights and characters belong to Takeshi Obata and Tsugumi Ohba. I'm just using it to satisfy my……needs. :3

Thank you to all who reviewed the prologue and I hope that you enjoy this chapter :)

*Special thanks to reviewers Inuyasha4eva (my first reviewer) and Raven Ehtar (my Senpai)*

**Chapter 1**

……_It was dark._

_A pitch-black canvas of nothing surrounded Mello, engulfing him with nothingness. _

_He looked around pointlessly. There was nothing to see for what looked like forever yet he continued to look. He was feeling very desperate to find something; a very certain something. However, he wasn't sure what this something he searched for even was; let alone how exactly to find it. _

_The boy began walking absently. The darkness was vast but it felt very close, almost stifling. Waves of claustrophobia began to set in, almost restricting his movement. Despite this, he continued on with a determined stride. He didn't know why, but he felt as if he belonged in the airless space…..Though, at the same time, the longer he was there, the more unnerving it became. _

'_I have to find it…' Mello thought to himself. 'I have to…..' _

_After wandering around for what seemed like hours, a small speck of light caught his eye. He all but ran toward it, feeling his muscles ache from the prolonged movement. As he closed in on the speck, it slowly began to take shape; growing into what looked like the form of a person. _

_Mello stopped. He was about three feet away from the human-shaped light when he saw what really was._

_It was a boy. _

_Not just any boy, but a boy who was dressed all in white; even his hair was a fair and colorless, giving him a slight glow in the darkness. Mello knew this boy. His name was Near; number one in line to succeed L….Mello's eternal rival. _

_It was strange…..the blonde knew exactly who he was….yet he was frozen. Was he afraid? No, he couldn't have been afraid. It was just Near…..wasn't it? The young light source had his back to Mello and while his features were unmistakable, the older boy felt tinge of doubt. _

_Suddenly, Mello felt something very warm touch his bare feet. It was wet and had a slightly thick consistency. He looked down and saw a red puddle flowing around his feet. The pungent smell of copper told him that it was blood. Tensing up, he followed its stream with his eyes. It led back to the Near look-alike, but it wasn't coming from the young genius. Instead it was coming from a figure that laid lifelessly at the boys' sock-covered feet. _

_The older boy stared at the figure. It was also a boy, but one much different from the one that stood motionless before him. This boy was covered in black clothing, making him practically blend in with the black background. However, his pale blonde hair that draped lightly over face contrasted with his dark attire. _

_Something clenched in Mello's chest as realization hit him. _

_The figure sprawled on the ground, bloody and limp, was him. It was Mello. _

"_Is Mello surprised?" Mello- the living Mello- eyes darted up to look at the white clad boy. He was beginning to think that the boy was nothing more than a dead figure, like the one on the ground, yet he had spoken, truly surprising him. _

"_Is Mello…afraid?" The so called Near shifted, turning slightly towards the older boy. His voice was dull and flat as it echoed throughout the shadows. A hand went up to his hair, twirling a strand much like the real Near would do. Most of his visage was shrouded by his white curls but the wiry smile that stretched across his cheeks could clearly be seen. The blonde was lost for words._

_The Near clone let out a small laugh that seemed to ricochet in the empty space. Mello shook his head; blonde strands swinging back and forth lightly as he fell down to his knees. His eyes became glued to crimson fluid as it began to seep into his pants. _

'_No……' The blonde felt a lump form in his throat, stopping his words just short of his lips. 'This is wrong…….it can't be real…..'_

"_Is it really that wrong?" The Near replica's voice was closer now- too close- as it questioned the blonde's doubting thoughts. Mello trembled, as he spotted the boy's dim reflection in the scarlet goop. Time seemed to slow down as the nearly petrified boy gradually begun to shift his gaze upward. _

_He immediately regretted doing so. _

_The once pure white boy that stood over him was now soiled with the unforgiving stains of blood. His once pleasing light was exchanged for a dark aura, replacing his very purity. The boy that stood before him was no longer human. _

"_Mello….." the fiend cocked his head to one side, letting his pinkish curls fall with the movement revealing large, dull gray eyes. They stared into the pale blue eyes of the boy beneath him. Their deadly coldness oozed into Mello's skin; penetrating his very bones making him shiver against his will. The lump in his throat grew, now rejecting his frantic gasps for breath. _

_A pale hand reached out towards the blonde. He could feel his chest tightening painfully. His heart pounded loudly in the now limited space. Its thumping aching his ears. Hot tears formed in the corners of his eyes, blurring the white hand that was no more than an inch away. _

"_**You can never win.**_"

* * *

Mello's eyes flew open; only to be quickly assaulted by a bright light. He squinted at the sudden brightness as he panted heavily. A thin layer of sweat covered his body; making his clothes cling to his body uncomfortably. He touched his chest absently, feeling the faint pressure ebb away with his awakening.

'So….it was just a dream…..' he thought to himself as he registered the bed he was laying in. It wasn't his. The sheets were a crisp white that contrasted with his usual dark ones and the bed was slightly bigger as well. 'But…what did it mean?'

The blonde turned away from the light to relieve his now watery eyes. That's when he spotted a man sitting not too far from his bed. He was wearing a long white lab coat and held a clipboard in his hand which was absorbing all of his attention.

Mello stared at the man. He had a familiar air about him. His dark brown hair was short and tousled and the clothes underneath his coat were very casual and worn out. It was obvious that he didn't care too much about his appearance.

Suddenly, the boy groaned as he felt a tinge of pain behind his eyes. He reached up in an attempt to soothe the ache, but instead of meeting bare skin, his fingers felt a soft puffy bandage fixated in the middle of his head. It stung slightly under his touch.

"Ah, you're finally awake." Mello turned back to the man. He had a kind grin that stretched across his young face. "You were asleep for quite awhile, but judging by the way you look, the rest must not have been very pleasant." He must have looked pretty awful then, because that's defiantly how he felt.

Mello strained his ears to listen to the man's words, or rather, his voice. He sounded very familiar but the blonde couldn't exactly figure out why. He tried to sit up, feeling an urge to move, but winced at an immense pain that shot through his back.

"Don't try to move around too much," the man said, the wheels of his chair squeaking as he rolled closer to the bed. "You've got some pretty nasty bruises on your back." Worry filled his hazel eyes but he managed to keep his smile.

It was then that Mello figured out why the man was so familiar.

"You're that man….the one that carried me…." He said hoarsely. He coughed a bit, feeling how terribly dry his throat was.

"I'm glad you remember me," the man said, letting his smile stretch wider, revealing his pearly white teeth. "It lets me know that I won't have to be dealing with an amnesiac….Not that your wounds were bad enough to induce amnesia that is." He held a glass of water out to the young boy. It was dripping with condensation from the cold liquid it held inside. Mello all but snatched it from the smiling man and drained it; gulping audibly as the cool liquid soothed his parched throat.

"I'm Dr. Ian Thomas by the way." The doctor held out a hand for Mello's empty cup. "And I already know your name. It's Mello, right?" Handing it to him, the blonde nodded absently. Instead of inquiring about the doctor's knowledge of his name, Mello began to look around and noticed that he was in the orphanage's infirmary. He had been to it (and sent others) often enough to recognize the place without much thought. But why was he here now? He tried to remember but all the white in the room was beginning to make his head spin. He rested his head in his hands and let out a small sigh.

"You know, you really had us worried." Dr. Thomas said as he got up from his chair. He went over to his desk and began to search through some papers. He had stacks everywhere, covering his desk and obscuring the view of what lied beyond it. What they were for, Mello hadn't the slightest idea.

"Us?" Mello repeated dumbly, still feeling groggy from his excess sleep. Dr. Thomas pointed to the bed next to Mello's who followed the gesture and looked beside him. On the bed he saw a figure that he hadn't noticed before. He recognized the individual, however, with his ruffled auburn hair and trademark goggles, it was hard not to.

Matt laid on the bed fully dressed. His sides moving lightly as he slept. He must have been really tired because Mello had seen him log in some major hours without as much as a wink of sleep. Staring at him, Mello began to realize how strange it was seeing the gamer without one of his handhelds jammed under his nose.

"He tried to stay up, to make sure that you were alright, but I think his anxiety got the best of him." The doctor maneuvered through the jumbles of paper with ease, pulling out a few that seemed to catch his interest. "That and I guess any child would be tired around this time of day." Mello looked out the window. Through the cracked shades, he could see that the sky was dark and grayish. The blonde glanced at the analog clock which hung on the wall next to the window. It read 4:30 a.m.

The boy groaned. He hated to be up so early, in fact he was sure that he would still be sleep if it hadn't been for that dream.

"That dream……" Mello began to recall the nightmare but then quickly shook his head, rejecting the idea of going through images again. Instead he watched the doctor. He seemed to have found the papers he wanted but instead of reading them, he just glanced at them and set them in a neat pile on one of the few clean spaces on his desk. The young man then grabbed a small bag of ice and set it on Mello's bed.

"Say 'ahhh'" Dr. Thomas said playfully as he held out a small wooden stick, which he had grabbed on his way back to the bed. Mello hesitated a bit but then obeyed albeit without the ridiculous sound. He placed the stick on his tongue and checked the inside of his mouth, studying it with exaggerated interest. Once that was done, he moved to the boy's eyes. Taking out a small flashlight, he gently held open his left eye and shined the light into it. Mello tried hard not to blink as he eye began to water.

"Roger was here too you know." Dr. Thomas said as if to fill the silence. "He stayed for a bit but he had to get back to the other children after a while." He moved to the right eye. "He told me that you a regular trouble maker and that I should expect to see you in the infirmary a lot but he also said that your behavior yesterday was….strange, completely unlike you."

The doctor finished his examination and went to write down information on his clipboard. He then ordered Mello to take off his shirt and lay on his stomach. The blonde did so, groaning at how stiff his back felt. Once he was in position, Dr. Thomas put the ice pack on his back. Mello hissed at the coldness as it laid on his sweat drenched back.

"This'll help reduce the swelling of the contusions." The brunette said in a professional tone. Mello sighed, feeling himself become tired again. He would love to go back to sleep but something in him resented the idea. As an alternative, he attempted to talk to the doctor.

"….Dr. Thomas?" The young man was at his desk, studying the papers that he had set aside. "Yes?" Mello thought hard about what to say but his mind was hazy, so he just blurted out the first question that came to mind.

"…Have you ever just wanted….to die?" Mello could hardly believe what he had just asked. He buried his face in the crook of his arm, wondering why those words were the ones to come out.

Dr. Thomas, however, didn't seem to be too bothered by the young boys' question.

"Hmm…ya know that's a very good question." He smiled but it was a rather bitter smile compared to his usual friendly grins. "In this world, no one can be happy and optimistic all the time. Even if one's life appeared perfect, there would always be days where that person would just doubt everything; their family, their friends, their existence- all of it….They would look up into the sky and just wonder why the gods had even bothered to put life into their body."

The doctor paused to let out a sigh before continuing. "So to answer your question, yes, there have been times where I felt that way but I never let it bring me down, not for long anyway. Because I knew that there could be better days ahead and I looked forward to them."

Mello listened closely, focusing on Dr. Thomas rather than the horrifying sleep that was trying to consume him. But, he couldn't really comprehend what the doctor was saying. His eyes fluttered as sleep began to overcome him. The last thing he remembered was the young physician coming over a placing a warm hand on his head. He continued to talk soothingly as the boy slowly drifted into a sound, and dreamless, slumber.

* * *

Near arose to the warm light that peeked through the white curtains of his room. He slowly climbed out of his small bed, socked feet touching the pure white carpeting of his room. Navigating through the maze of toys that littered his floor, he made his way over to his dresser. Opening one of the six drawers, Near pulled out a very neatly folded outfit.

Calmly, the young genius began to change out of his white, oversized pajamas only to exchange them for a matching pair. He didn't like variety when it came to clothes. Variety just created indecision and unnecessary conflict. He found it much simpler to just have many of the same outfit, therefore deleting daily choices and maximizing time for more important things.

As he sat on his bed to change into a clean pair of white socks, he gave a fleeting look to the digital clock that sat on the wooden nightstand next the head of his bed. Usually the albino wouldn't bother with the clock- he had a pretty good sense of time- but this time he felt….off.

The bright green numbers read 6:30- a half hour past the genius's usual waking time. Very unusual. Near rarely ever woke up this late (his definition of late) unless he was very sick or bedridden; and neither applied to today's case. Could it have been because of the day before?

A pale hand connected with colorless hair, choosing a lone strand to twirl between its fingers. Then his mind began to reel.

'Mello's actions yesterday were out the ordinary,' he thought as he went over the details of his encounter with the older boy……

* * *

_At first Near had simply been putting together one of his blank puzzles while under the parks' gazebo. He wanted to stay at Wammy's but Roger insisted that the young boy needed fresh air every once in a while. So Near reluctantly agreed to the outing. _

_Not too long after arriving the genius had seen the blonde wandering off on his on. This was not abnormal for him but the older boy seemed off….Near remembered that Mello had been acting odd since last week, ever since their last exam. It wasn't a very drastic change, in fact, people barely noticed it. But after Mello came in second on the test once again (behind Near of course) he had become less….active; his normal temper tantrums dissipating to a few course words and rather rude hand gestures. _

_The blonde would just wander the halls absently and sometimes he wouldn't even acknowledge the white-haired boy. Near found some relief in this, seeing as how he was able to put together more of his intricate structures of dominos or dice without having to worry about a certain walking wrecking ball tearing everything down. _

_However, the curious side of the young genius began to wonder if something was wrong with the boy (besides the usual problems that accompanied whatever children entered the institute known as Wammy's). So Near took it upon himself to watch the blonde, to observe him. After a few days, the albino noticed that everything was pretty much the same except Mello appeared far off, as if deep in thought. The chocolate bars that Mello prized (and which Near detested) were sometimes left half eaten or forgotten all together before the first bite was even taken. Extremely unusual. _

_Once Mello had wandered off out of Near's sight, the genius put the chocoholic out of his mind. Or at least he thought he did. _

"_Just go look for him if you're so worried." Near, who had been staring at his puzzle for an abnormally long amount of time, looked up at the boy who had spoken. It was Matt. The gamer was sitting across from him, fingers rapidly attacking the buttons on his handheld, surely fighting off some demons in a new game. He was just as reluctant to the outing as Near was but eventually accepted it when he realized that he could just play his games all day. _

"_Who is it that Matt is referring to?" Near began shifting his position, resting a hand on his raised knee while entwining the other in his curls. Near knew exactly who Matt was talking about but decided to make sure. _

"_Mello of course," Matt didn't bother to look up from his game as he spoke. It's a rude gesture but not an uncommon one considering Matt and his "ways". "You've been zoned out since he walked off. Well more than usual anyway."_

"_Matt is mistaken. I am not worried about Mello." Near twirled his lock of hair a bit faster. _

"_Dude, it's obvious that you are. You've been watching him since our last test." _

_Near was taken aback by this; however he quickly recovered before it was noticed. He didn't think that anyone was paying attention to his latest observations, especially not Matt, but he should have known better then to dismiss the sharp mind of Wammy's number three._

_Near stared back down at the white puzzle that he finished over 10 minutes ago. Apparently he didn't respond fast enough for the gamer because he continued; this time choosing to pause his game to look up at the albino. _

"_If you want to know what's going on then just follow him." Matt smiled. "It's better than just sitting here, worrying over it." _

"_I must insist that I am not-" Near was interrupted by Matt letting out an exaggerated sigh. _

"_Sure you aren't dude." He said sarcastically. After that, Matt went back to his game, fingers moving as quickly as they were before. _

* * *

After that….well it's obvious what Near decided to do. Still, the genius wondered why he stepped forth, stopping those delinquents. Of course Mello was both out numbered and over powered at the time, but Near hardly provided any help. Jumping into such a situation without thinking it through was a rash and rather stupid thing for him to do. Yet he did it anyway.

Could it be that his rare time outside, as brief as it was, had clouded his judgment? Or that his time spent finding Mello had worn out his barely used body, therefore affecting his mind? Or did it actually start before Wammy's atypical outing; around when Near first began to observe the blonde?

The albino continued to dwell on these questions when he suddenly heard a mewling sound. Near looked down and saw a small black kitten staring up at him with lone yellow eyes. The boy was not surprised by the cat's presence, though it did snap him out of his thoughts and remind him of last nights' visit to the infirmary…..

* * *

_The man laid a sleeping Mello down on the bed at the far end of the room. He was careful not to put him down too hard due to the bad bruises that covered his back. The man then cleaned the deep scrape on the blonde's head (who winced slightly in his sleep) and covered it with a bandage._

"_So will he have like brain damage now?" Matt asked in a nonchalant yet concerned tone. The man, who Near remembered was their new doctor Ian Thomas, simply laughed. _

"_Oh no, your friend just has a few bumps and scrapes but he'll be fine after some rest." The man, Dr. Thomas, looked very unruly and unprofessional, but despite the way he carried himself he seemed to take his position quite seriously. _

"_Hmm…" Matt watched Mello sleep and fidgeted slightly before speaking. "Ok then Doc, I'll take your word for it." And with that he went and sat down on the bed adjacent to Mello's and began to fiddle with his thumbs. The red-head could have played his handheld, to satisfy his restless fingers but he decided against it, not wanting to wake his dosing friend._

_Roger had been standing quietly for a long time before letting out an exasperated sigh. The kitten he held stirred and began to purr softly. He petted its head gently before finally speaking. _

"_Near." His voice was gentle but full of demand. _

"_Yes Roger?" Near was sitting in his usual position in a chair on the opposite side of the room. Roger turned toward the boy so that he could speak to him directly. Eyes worn with age stared into wide gray ones._

"_Do you know what happened?" _

_Near began to toy with the fabric of his pants but he continued to stare into the supervisor's eyes. After a moment he looked away and tugged at his hair. _

"_I arrived after Mello had already been assaulted," He said in his low, emotionless voice. "So I regret to say that I do not know the exact situation that he was in." _

_Roger nodded solemnly. "I see…." The infirmary filled with an awkward silence after that. All that could be heard was Mello's light breathing and the occasional mew of the cat. _

"_Hey Roger," Matt started suddenly, breaking the silence. "What're you going to do with the kitten?" _

_Roger thought it over before letting out one of his trademark sighs. _

"_It's late," he stated glumly. "There's nothing more we can do tonight. I would let the animal rest in my office….however that wouldn't be the best idea." _

"_I would offer to keep it here," Dr. Thomas began. "But it could be risky if I happen to get any kids with a cat allergy."_

"_That's me," Matt said as his hand shot into the air. "I'm allergic to cats so it could be dangerous for me." Roger looked at the red-head questioningly as he continued. "But…it's only mild so I could take it!" He put out his hands and wiggled his fingers with excitement. _

"_There's no need for that Matt." Roger walked over to Near. "Near…would you mind taking it? It's just until the morning when we take care of the matter formally."_

_Near eyed the kitten briefly before speaking. "Of course Roger." He held out his small arms, his sleeves coming up to the middle of his palms. Roger handed him the kitten, which immediately cuddled with the albino. _

"_Aww, no fair!" Matt folded his arms and pouted. Roger smiled at him; it was obvious that the gamer was trying to lighten the mood. _

"_It's time that I leave Ian, please take care of Mello." _

"_I'll watch him like a hawk." Dr. Thomas saluted playfully as Roger turned to leave. Near was already on his feet, ready to follow the old man's lead. However, Matt remained on the bed. _

"_We need to let Mello rest Matt." Roger said with authority. _

"_And he's resting." Matt said in casual tone as he plopped down on the bed and stretched out on the covers. "Besides, my room is so far and I think I lost my keys." _

_Roger frowned at this. There were no key locks to any of the rooms (give or take a few) only thumb locks. But Roger understood what he was trying to do and knew that he wouldn't give up until he got what he wanted. He let out his nth sigh of the day. _

"_Fine, you may stay…if Ian permits you." _

"_It's no problem." Dr. Thomas said before Matt could even ask. The red-head grinned and with that, Near and Roger left the infirmary and went their respective ways. _

* * *

Near bent down and stroked the kitten's glossy black fur. It looked terribly skinny and parts of its fur were thinner than the others but it appeared to be pretty content. The cooks gave him a few things to feed the kitten the night before but he was sure that the little creature's appetite would return soon enough.

The albino slipped off of his bed and picked up the kitten. He might have some time to feed it before taking it to Roger and now would be the best time considering how the kitchen would be void of any personnel (breakfast wasn't until 7:30). His timing would be even better considering how he was one of the few early birds in the orphanage so there would be practically no one awake and thus no one to catch him with the kitten (Roger instructed him to make sure that none of the other orphans saw it).

With that in mind, the young genius headed out the door and down the hallway. As Near was approaching the kitchen, a lone thought crossed his mind. It was a brief, fleeting thought but the fact that he thought it at all puzzled him. As baffling as it was, it had come and gone so the albino simply dismissed it, deeming it irrelevant.

'_Something dark has settled…something wrong.'_

Little did Near know, those words had more meaning than he could ever imagine.

**A/N:** Yatta! I finished it! But it totally sucked...probably because this chapter was sorta like filler for the prologue and something to give you an idea of what might happen next. So can you guess yet?

Anyway, I'm just really glad that I was able to get this done and I promise that the next chapter will be much more interesting so hang in their guys XD!

*Don't forget to leave a review! It'll really help!*


End file.
